Stephen Coco was sentenced for a hit-and-run crash in which he hit two Bedford teens and left the scene. The one-year sentence is the longest an inmate can receive and still serve time in jail, rather than prison.

Superintendent Dave Dionne at the Hillsborough House of Corrections said Coco is a perfect candidate for work release, and it was his decision to place him in the home reporting program.

Other corrections officials agreed. Superintendent Stephen Church of the Rockingham County House of Corrections isn't tied to the case, but he agreed to answer News 9's questions about the issue.

"Don't plea a case, send them to the House of Corrections, and then when we try to work with the prisoner, wave your finger at us," Church said.

Coco is technically in the custody of Hillsborough County, but he was incarcerated in Coos County over safety concerns because of his former job as a police officer in Manchester.

"Punishment and corrections are two different things," Church said. "Punishment is dealt with in the courtroom."

Church said that because Coco was in jail, the superintendent has discretion on how to handle his sentence.

"Give us a chance to work with this person," he said. "Give us a chance to do corrections. If you wanted your pound of flesh, you shouldn't have pleaded the case and given them a sentence in the state prison."

A statute has been on the books since the 1970s allowing jail superintendents to use their discretion to allow any inmate who has served a minimum of 14 consecutive days to be released for the purpose of work.

Coco is required to report daily via telephone. In the month he has been out, he has been randomly drug tested four times and had four unannounced home visits.

In court Monday, Coco told the judge he will never reoffend.

"This release program is having the exact effect it was intended to have," Coco said. "I am reintegrating with my family, and my young daughters are improving."

The statute was amended in the fall to let jail superintendents use their discretion on cases without a court hearing. They said it's impractical to force them to wait for a court date when sentences are already so short.

NOW AFTER 72 DAYS, HE'S LIVING AT HOME TODAY. THIS AFTERNOON I SPOKE WITH SUPERINTENDENT AT THE HOUSE OF CORRECTIONS, IT WAS HIS DECISION TO PUT STEVEN IN THE HOME REPORTING PROGRAM. HE NEVER MET HIM. HE WAS AT CO THE COUNTY HOUSE OF CORRECTIONS. ERFECT PERFECT CANDIDATE. THE PRISON, DON'T PLEA A CASE AND SEND THEM TO THE HOUSE OF CORRECTIONS AND WHEN WE TRY TO WORK WITH THE PRISONER, WAVE YOUR FINGER AT US. ROCKINGHAM HOUSE OF CORRECTIONS DIRECTOR STEVE CHURCH ISN'T DIRECTLY TIED TO THE CASE AT ALL AND AGREED TO TAKE OUR QUESTIONS AFTER THE PUBLIC OUTRAGE OVER THE RELEASE AFTER 72 DAYS. HE WAS TECHNICALLY IN THE CUSTODY OF HILLSBORO COUNTY, BUT WAS INCARCERATED OVER SAFETY CONCERNS BECAUSE OF HIS JOB AS A POLICE OFFICER IN MANCHESTER. WHY DO WE EVEN GO THROUGH THE PROCESS WITH THE JUDGE COMING UP WITH A NUMBER. WHY DON'T WE LEAVE THE WHOLE THING TO YOUR DISCRETION? WELL, AGAIN, PUNISHMENT AND CORRECTIONS IS TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. PUNISHMENT IS DEALT WITH IN THE COURTROOM. EARLIER THIS YEAR, HE PLED GUILTY TO RUNNING OVER TWO BEDFORD TEENS AND LEAVING THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT. IN A R PLEA DEAL SENTENCED TO ONE YEAR IN THE COUNTY JAIL, THAT'S THE LONGEST THEY CAN GET WITHOUT GOING TO STATE PRISON. GIVE US A CHANCE TO WORK, AND IF YOU WANTED A POUND OF FLESH, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE PLED THE CASE AND SENT HIM TO PRISON. THE STATUTE HAS BEEN ON THE BOOKS SINCE 1970'S, ALLOWING JAIL SUPERINTENDENTS TO USE DISCRETION TO ALLOW ANY INMATE WHO SERVED 14 CONSECUTIVE DAYS TO BE RELEASED FOR WORK. HE'S REPORTING DAILY BY TELEPHONE. IN THE MONTH HE'S BEEN OUT, HE'S BEEN RANDOMLY TESTED AND HAD HOME VISITS. IN COURT, HE TOLD THE JUDGE HE WOULD NEVER REOFFEND. THIS RELEASE PROGRAM IS HAVING THE EFFECT IT'S INTENDED TO HAVE. I'M REINTEGRATING WITH MY FAMILY AND MY YOUNG DAUGHTERS. AS YOU HEARD, THE STATUTE HAS BEEN ON THE BOOKS FOR DECADES. IT WAS AMENDED LAST FALL TO ALLOW SUPERINTENDENTS TO HAVE DISCRETION, IT'S IMPRACTICAL FOR